Setting is such an important part of any book, and I doubt there’s an author out there who hasn’t struggled mightily to get his or her book to feel like where it’s set. Whether it’s the forests of Maine in a Stephen King book or the outer reaches of space by Isaac Asimov, it’s difficult …
MBAs
I have a complicated history with higher education. On one hand, I very much value learning. When I dive into new information (or even old information seen freshly from a different perspective), I feel almost as alive as I do when I’m creating worlds or characters in fiction. There’s something that fascinates me about human …
Environment Versus Technology
One of my favourite comic books of all time is Tokyo Ghost by Rick Remender and Sean Murphy. As is typical, no one is really safe in a Remender story, and no one should expect a happy ending for all (or even some). Things do end up well for Debbie and Takara, but there’s a scar …
Religion
I don’t know if I believe in a higher power. I mean, obviously, in some sense, there must be something of a higher power than us out there. The universe is infinite and there are so many variations just on Earth alone. In the sense of a creator or omnipotent being, of that I have …
Time Travel
I guess I’m not like a lot of other geeks who either love or hate time travel. Those who get lost in the particulars of it get frustrated by storytelling that seems to break the laws of physics (or just plain logic). Those who love it love when it’s done cleverly, and the plot twists …
Violence As Comedy
I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a big fan of the absurd. I love it when comedy gets so stupid, it’s hilarious, like Teen Titans Go! or that Little Big video, Skibidi. Comedy also includes a lot of violence, dating back to the early days of Bugs Bunny and the Roadrunner. Combine the …
Process, Not Product
Life’s been a little turbulent lately. Money’s woefully tight, with more bills and debts begging for attention all the time. I suffered a personal loss, as my grandmother finally laid down after years of slowly disintegrating. Professionally, work is a mess. I find myself increasingly disengaged as my patience for other people’s bullshit and unwillingness …
Fanboys
I fully intended to write about this on Hallowe’en. I’d just finished reading Fanboys Vs. Zombies, absurdist horror fiction of a wonderfully geeky degree, a short time earlier and then, boom, my grandmother died and my motivation died with her. At least, motivation to write about things of a more upbeat disposition. The novel I’m …
All My Grandparents Are Dead
The first, my dad’s dad, died before I was born. My step-grandfather died in my mid-twenties, a wonderful man with a penchant for smiles, a gift for the harmonica and a gun-toting, tree-burning hatred of raccoons in the yard of his farm. His wife, my paternal grandmother, was next. Like I suspect I’ll be, she …
Shirley Lynne
My grandmother just died. I’m not sure of the exact time, but it’s within a few hours of this post. As always when someone I know and love passes, it doesn’t quite hit me right away. It takes time. I almost have to see them to realize it. I understand my name is up for …